Getting Their Act Together
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Future fic. After years of friendship, Jude and Connor finally get their act together. Jude/Connor


**I don't own The Fosters and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Eighteen year old Jude sighed as he walked into the house, dropped his backpack on the floor, and then headed over to the couch. He ignored Adelaide as he wallowed, but that didn't last long – she didn't ignore him. The five year old grinned at him. "Why do you look sad?"

"I'm not sad," he lied.

The stare she gave him showed she knew otherwise. "Tell me," she pleaded.

Jude couldn't ignore that look (actually, nobody could). "Addie, I don't want to talk to you right now."

Adelaide didn't let that deter her. "I'll listen nicely and won't even tell Mommy and Mama."

He snorted because that promise meant nothing. However, their mothers were going to find out anyway so why did it matter? "I'm in love with Connor, but he obviously doesn't feel the same way about me. We're just friends and we're always going to be just friends."

She looked unimpressed. "You should tell him. And you are right. You are an idiot, Judeicorn." Then she laughed and skipped away.

Jude just stared at her and rolled his eyes. He loved his little sister, but she drove him crazy sometimes. "You weren't very much help," he murmured.

A laughing Stef walked into the living room. "Addie just told me your 'big stupid problem'. You want to tell me what finally made you get your act together?" She, Lena, Mariana, and Callie had been looking forward to this day for a long time. After Jude's initial confusion about his jealousy over Connor wanting to do a girl, he never really talked about it again, but they all could see that there was something between the two boys.

"Connor was talking about taking someone to prom and then it just hit me out of the blue. I'm in love with him, but he'll never feel the same way about me." And that sucked.

Stef snorted. "She's right – you are an idiot. Honey, everyone can see what you and Connor mean to each other. Tell him how you feel. I'm sure it'll go the way you want it to. And good luck." She patted him on the head and returned to the kitchen, where Addie was eating a snack.

"I hope they get married," Addie commented.

"They're a little young for that, love." But Stef kissed her too and waited for Lena to get home from work. It was nice to only have two kids in the house (and then they'd only be down to one once Jude started college) because there was actually peace instead of chaos in the house.

"Did something happen between Connor and Jude? Connor looked upset today when I saw him," Lena commented to her wife when she returned home.

"Our son finally realized he's in love with him and doesn't think Connor feels the same way."

Lena's mouth dropped open. "Really? Oh my God."

Stef nodded. "I can't wait until Connor comes over again," chimed in Addie.

"Hopefully it'll be soon." Lena refrained from squealing since it wouldn't do anything. She and Stef would probably eavesdrop on the conversation if they were around, however. Their son's happiness was at stake!

Jude had to work up the courage to talk to Connor the next afternoon. He invited him over after school and was pleased when his best friend accepted. "You can have dinner with us," he said and tried not to cringe. How was he already fucking this up? Damn it.

"Sounds great." Connor smiled at him and then headed to his next class, suddenly freaking out about what Jude wanted to talk to him about. Was he that obvious? Was Jude about to reject him? He was terrified to find out.

Jude was freaking out himself and found it hard to concentrate. When he got called on to answer a question, he had no idea what to answer because he hadn't been paying attention. He apologized to the teacher afterwards and then tapped his foot as he waited impatiently for Connor. This was going to change their lives forever, hopefully for the better. But what if Connor rejected him? He didn't think he could handle losing his friendship. "It'll be okay," he whispered to himself.

He had hit full blown panic by the time they pulled into the driveway. Jude considered backing out, but it was most likely too late now. He could do this. It could all work out in his favor.

Connor sat down on the couch and started playing with his hands. "So what's up? What do you want to talk to me about?"

Jude felt like he was going to pass out, but slowed his breathing down so that wouldn't happen. "Why don't we eat first? We can talk later," he tried.

He shook his head. "Jude, please be honest with me and stop stalling." He wanted to get this over with so he didn't have to worry about it all through dinner.

Jude laughed nervously and sat down next to him. He was waffling about moving closer to Connor, but decided against it and stuck to the other end of the couch. "So did you ask whoever to prom?" He hadn't heard the name.

Connor shook his head – he hadn't wanted to ask anyone but Jude to the prom. But he hadn't used pronouns when talking to his best friend and it seems like he had assumed he was talking about someone else. Of course. "No." And he left it at that.

He bit his lip and tried to hold back the irrational, stress-related tears. "Oh. Good."

"Just tell me already!" Connor snapped. He couldn't take the waiting anymore.

Jude flinched, but listened. "I don't want you going to the prom with anyone else because I want to go with you. I'm in love with you, Connor. Think I've had feelings for you for years, but I wasn't entirely sure until now. And I understand if you don't feel the same way or want to be my friend anymore, but it's the truth."

Connor's grin lit up the whole room. "You're in love with me?"

Jude nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm in love with you too! I wanted to ask you to the prom too, but I panicked. That was stupid of me."

"You're both idiots," Addie sing-songed from the stairs. Jude and Connor's heads whipped up and the glare scared her into heading back up to her room.

With his little sister gone, Jude lunged and kissed Connor. "She's right."

"Of course she's right." Connor felt relieved and relaxed for the first time in months. He had been holding this in for a long time.

Eavesdropping from the other room, Stef and Lena tried to squeal quietly. "It's about time they got their act together. Figured it'd be years before this happened," Stef told her wife.

Lena agreed with that. "We should leave them alone. Grab Addie and we'll go out to eat, leave them alone."

"Sounds like a great plan."

Jude and Connor had finally acted on something others had seen for years, and they were all happy for the two of them. And Stef, Lena, Callie, and Mariana did not cry when Jude and Connor went to prom together a few weeks later.


End file.
